Piano



l Oct. 21, 1941. s. T. FR|PP- l 2,260,139

PIANO' Filed March 2l, 1939 Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 21, 1939, Serial No. 263,120 In Great Britain March 25, 1938 3 Claims.

This invention relates to pianos and is concerned with the provision of improved forms of music rest for instruments of either the grand or upright type.

As at present constructed the music rest of a grand piano is stored, when the piano is closed, beneath a horizontal pane` or lid which is hinged to the piano top some distance from the keyboard or front of the piano and in operation this panel or lid is raised from the front. The music stand is then raised upon its hinge into position for use. In the case of upright pianos the music rest usually depends from a hinged mounting at the top of the iront of the piano, the rest usually being collapsible and turnable about the hinged mounting in its collapsed state into the open top of the piano after which the lid may be closed.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the cumbersome music rest entirely and provide an improved and novel form of piano case.

According to the invention a portion of the piano case itself is utilised as the music rest, the said portion constituting part of the top or front of the instrument in the case of grand pianos and being hingedly mounted so that it can be opened about its hinge mounting to form. a music rest.

In grand pianos this portion or panel, at the front of the top of the instrument, may be hinged at its front end adjacent the keyboard so that it opens from the back and is supported in its open position at the desired angle suitably to support the music. However this arrangement has the possible disadvantage that the polished top of the panel may become scratched and according to a further feature of the invention this possible disadvantage is overcome by hingedly and slidably mounting the panel relatively to the front or the front of the top of the instrument so that it can be opened into a position in which its inner face forms the iront face of the music rest.

One embodiment of the invention will 'now be moreI particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of a grand piano showing a prel'erred construction of the top of the piano case with the panel in the closed and open positions respectively, and

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views on a larger scale showing the panel in its open position and in the course of being closed or opened respectively.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the piano top is divided into a front portion or panel Illa and a lid I2a which may be opened from the side. 'I'he centre part of the panel I0a is formed as a separate panel IIa to constitute the music rest. This music rest is provided with pins or sliders I'I at its sides which slide in horizontal grooves or guides I8 bordering it. As shown, these grooves or guides are constituted by members I9 attached to the underside of the panel I0a. When the music rest is not in use the pins Il register in recesses or notches 2li in the underside of the panel Ia forming the top member of the grooves or guides. When the music rest is required for use it is hinged upwardly about these pins I'I which are, by this action, released from the recesses or notches 20 and the music rest can then be turned up so that its inner or under face forms the iront face of the rest, the music resting on a ledge 2I located at or adjacent its bottom edge. 'Ihis ledge 2| is only exposed when the music rest is in position for use since in the other position it lies on the underside of the rest which fits snugly and iiush, in a recess in the middle of the panel Illa as shown, with its polished surface exposed.

The rest is arranged to adopt the desired angle by reason of its bottom edge 22 making contact with the underside of the front part of the members I9. Alternatively it may be supported by its back resting on the top edge of the rear wall of the members I9, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3, or hinged supporting arms (not shown) may be provided so that the rest can be arranged at any position along the guides I8.

The ledge 2I is provided with a strip light by which the music is illuminated when the panel is turned into its music rest position.

In a structure such as is above described, the panel or music rack structure, when in the closed position, has one face thereof in the plane of the adjacent portions of the top of the piano. The position of the panel, so that it may be used as a rack for supporting sheet music, is such that the music does not contact with the face of the panel which is exposed when it is in the closed position.

In opening and closing the rack, the panel has a combined pivoting and sliding movement. The grooves or guides I8 permit this combined sliding and turning movement, the pins or sliders II being so positioned in relation to the one edge of the panel as to be spaced therefrom to an extent to permit the rack to be supported in a desired inclined position by engagement of the edge portion of the rack projecting beyond the pivots with the bottom edge of the opening in the piano top,

as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, when the rack is positioned toward the edge of the opening nearest the keyboard. If desired, as shown in dotted lines in this gure, the top of the rack may be rested against the edge of the opening most remote from the keyboard.

Irrespective of the position of the panel when in the open position, When the panel is closed the music rest 2l Will be concealed Within the top, thus providing a flush top surface. The pro.- vision of a notch 20, as the panel is closed, permits one edge thereof to be positioned adjacent the ledge 2l, and the panel to have sufficient rise to bring the top thereof flush with the top or the piano.

What I claim and desire to securebyfLetters Patent is:

1. A piano embodying therein a Saidopening and When non? POSQI?! t9 ,01,95 SamQ-rivtal supporting ineens f6.1" midrange@ the opposite edges thereof andro-.operating with the side walls of `said opening, and an extension upon said panel beyond said supporting means adapted toengage"` the under side of the vpiano top,vvlrereby` saidY panel may be ,removedA from said opening and" brought to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position awayfrorn said key, board. v" M 2. A piano Aembodying therein a case, provided with an'ope'ning in the top thereof adjacent the keyboard, guides Within the opposite side edges grendel', with an opening in the top thereof adjacent the y keyboard, a panel of a Width to pass throughA of said opening, a panel adapted to close said opening, pivots upon opposite edges of said panel rotatably and slidably mounted in said guides, and a ledge upon one face of said panel adjacent said pivots but spaced from the edge of the panel, said ledge forming both an abutment to position said panel at the desired angle and a support for music, said panel having combined sliding and turning movement, and a portion thereof adjacent said ledge, by engagement with the laterally Vextending edges of the opening, oper-ating in conjunction with the slidable pivots to support said panel in operative position.

Y 3. A piano embodying therein a case, provided with an opening in the top thereof adjacent the keyboard, guides Within the opposite side edges of said. ing, a panel adapted to close said openin'g,p i 4 upon opposite edges of said panel rotatably and slidably mounted in said guides, notches in the underside of the piano top in Weigh, said.. pvetsreeister when the @wel is in Closed 99511519112 and a .ledge 119011 one face of said. panel adjacent said pivota but'spacedffrom the edge of the panel, said ledge forming both-.an abutment to position vsaid panel at the desired angle of support and a ledge for the support 'of the music,l said panel havingccmbined'sliding and turning movement, anda portion thereof, adjacent Said ledge, by engagement. with the 1sterally extending edges of the opening, operating in conjunction With the sli'dable pivots tosupport said panel in operative position, Y

SAMUEL TRUDE. FRIPP. 

